


Cigarettes Most Wanted

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Assassin!Levi, Assassination, Attraction, Badass Levi, Birthday Party, Boys Kissing, Cigarettes, Developing Relationship, Embarrassment, Eren Is a Little Shit, Explosions, Gore, Guns, Homophobic Language, Hostage!Eren, Jock reiner, Killing, M/M, Mild Smut, Minor Character Death, Missions, Most wanted, Murder, POV Third Person, Rich eren, Romance, Smut, Sort of? - Freeform, Violence, Virgin Eren Yeager, for now, shit happens, stubborn eren, wink wink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-13 23:25:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4541430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren, the son of two very wealthy and well-known people, can't bring himself to cut back on smoking- or running into trouble. But in the moment of a desperate situation, Levi, a highly skilled assassin and number one on America's Most Wanted list, accidentally swoops into Eren's life. Things take a wild turn for the two as Levi tries his damnedest to get his assignment taken care of while Eren is rapidly becoming a fatal distraction for the man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Case #1: Cigarettes

**Author's Note:**

> So. Assassin Levi is amazing. Welcome to this assassin au where there will hopefully be smut, unfortunately be angst, and of course, a lot of badass action scenes for your soul. Enjoy, loves~

**March 30, 2012**

**10:28PM, Friday**

**Location: ?**

 

 

     A boy, finally eighteen years old today, slipped unnoticed from the party's confines, music thundering throughout the neighborhood and vibrating the porch steps beneath his feet. A wasted couple huddled on the swing, lips connecting with full blown lust and not a care in the world. The boy's lip curled in disgust.

     He didn't need to explain where he was heading. With his smoking routine, they'd figure it out sooner or later. His first stop- the nearest gas station. (About a ten minute walk.) His second remained undecided. Perhaps a spot on the steps by the river to quench the onslaught of anxiety clouding his mind. All he knew for sure was that there was no possible way he'd return to his birthday party. Too many voices. Too many bodies packed together.

     Pulling the thin jacket tighter around his frame helped to compress the shiver that curled itself up his spine like a snake. Whether it was from the chilly air or the direction of his thoughts, he wasn't sure. It didn't matter.

     Somewhere, a mile or so off, were sirens. Most likely police sirens from the sound of it and due to the inclining crime rate in their city. It was truly a miracle the place was still heavily populated. For just a second, he vaguely wondered why nearly nobody was roaming the streets on a Friday night.

     The warmth that greeted him inside the Shell station was enough to carry his thoughts out the window and temporarily suffice the comfort he craved. Just a couple of stray late-night truckers littered the store, each filling a cup to the brim with steaming coffee.

     "Welcome! What can I help you with, hun?" the tall blonde cashier chimed with a blinding smile. Her light aura radiated with positive emotions- she was practically glowing. The boy rubbed his palms together to regain feeling in his fingers and craned his neck over the woman's shoulder to scan the array of cancer stick cartons. He did his best to ignore the light overhead flickering obnoxiously at him.

      A friend of his had passed the legal age two years ago, and therefore, had been a provider for his cigarette cravings. Now he needed to try something new. Something not so dull to the taste buds, after a full two years of the same brand. He searched for something that would pop out at him and pull him in; like a sinner being tempted by the devil himself.

     The words " _minty burst"_ on a green and black box stroke his attention. Perfect.

    "Can I get a pack of the Titans?"

    "Sure! Which kind?"

     "Uh, the Minty Forest."

     "Okay, five fifty-two. And I need to see your ID, please." The boy's brown mop of hair fell over his eyes when he bent his head down to hurriedly dig out the money and ID from a wallet. He handed over both items, returning the cashier's smile.

     Out of the corner of his eye, a glimpse of a shadowy grin made his stomach capsize. His hand shot out to receive his ID and cigarettes and insisted the cashier keep the change. He pocketed the contents and scuttled away as calm as possible.

     Outside, everything was tranquil. Soundless. Void. The only disturbance were the police sirens shrilling throughout the dead streets. He didn't make it five feet down the sidewalk before a large calloused hand entered his peripheral. Instinctively, he ducked away and pivoted down an alleyway in a wasted effort to lose the man. His heart beat skyrocketed, pounding in time with his footsteps.

    "Oh, come on, kid. Just make this easy for us," the bald man hollered, hurdling over trash bags the boy slung at him while running. The brunette chanced a glance back to see how far apart they were and realized the man was closing in on its prey. Refusing to give in, he bounded forward, straight into a massive wall of muscle.

     The blood pounding through his veins turned to ice with no where to run. He knew they didn't want his money. They didn't want to simply beat the shit out of him. They wanted pleasure. He was about to lose his virginity to a couple of fifty-something year old men.

     Was it really too much to ask for a goddamn pack of cigarettes? The one time his sister wasn't around to protect him and this happened.

     He took a swing at the smaller man, hoping for an opening, but to no avail.

     "Ooo a feisty one, ain't he?" the man purred as he caught the arm, twisted it behind him, and pressed the boy's chest against the wall. "Looks like he chose me to go first," he gave his partner a toothless grin. The buffer man growled but huffed and backed off, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.

      By now, the boy was near tears with anger as he thrashed around trying his damnedest to break away. His face was shoved into the filthy brick wall and, unable to maintain control of himself anymore, a salty tear rolled down the hill of his cheek. A silent cry for help.

     Just as the man's long grubby fingers found the entrance to his jeans, a deep voice murmured, "What the f--" and a grunt followed by a thud was heard a few feet away. The man hesitated, swiveling his head around to see his partner's lifeless form and loosened his grip on the boy. He glanced around nervously, unsure of whether to go to his friend or leave him. Before the boy could elbow him off, the gleam of metal sliced through the air mere inches away from his face.

      Seemingly in slow motion, the man's neck split in two, the oozing corpse falling away to land on a plump trash bag. The boy's breathing became labored, his eyes frantically sweeping the alley and walls. Whatever saved him could kill him too. And it was with that thought in mind, his wobbly legs carried him the rest of the way down the alley.

      He was stopped once again, however, when two arms encircled his waist, his captor whispering, "Scream and you die. Obey my orders. Got it?" The boy fiercely nodded his head at the man. "Good. Now, give me your jacket." Suddenly his body was free from the arms that'd ensnared him. With a questioning glimpse back at the man, but no questions asked, the boy speedily shrugged off his jacket to pass it over.

      Now that he could see the man completely, the boy noted he was short (5'4 maybe), had black hair tugged back into a short ponytail with the bottom half shaved military style, and his face was hidden behind a mask shaped like a fox's. He sported a black muscle T, black jeans, black thigh high boots, and there was even a black harness encompassing his torso. Two occupied gun holsters sat just above his hip bones. In short, the sight to behold was beautiful.

     His fingers snapped in front of the boy's eyes to grab his attention. The boy blinked stupidly down at the man in return. His hood was pulled over his head, the jacket completely zipped up.

     "I'm on a time limit here, kid," he snapped, his eyes narrowing on the boy through the holes in the mask. "Hurry and push me up against the wall already." The boy's eyes widened and began to back away, but the click of a switchblade made him rethink his decision. He tentatively rested his hands on the man's surprisingly firm shoulders.

     "O-okay. Now w-what?" The man let out a frustrated growl as if he'd told him what to do a thousand times.

      "Kiss me," he ordered then tacked on, "Like you mean it." The boy spluttered at his command. He hadn't even had just first kiss yet! The man groaned at his hesitance. "Tch. Of fucking _course_ I'd get stuck with a virgin." Less than a mile away, the police sirens started back up again- when had they stopped?- and the man's eyes flickered to the street for a second. The boy started to protest profusely, but a hand silenced him. "Fine. We'll do this my way."

_'When had we been doing this any other way?'_

     The man stepped up onto the boy's feet (he was unsurprisingly light weight) to make him taller while his raised hand descended to the nape of his neck, threading up through the chestnut mess of hair.

     As the man's other hand came up to the mask, he leaned in close to susurrate, "Shut your eyes," in his ear. Caught in a trance, the boy simply obeyed, his heartbeat erratically thumping in his chest despite the eerie calm feeling settling in his gut. Fabric rustled against plastic and it took all of the boy's willpower to keep his eyes closed.

     A ghost of warm breath tickled his nose, drifting over his lips like a foreshadowing of the next few moments.

And then, as promised, their lips greeted each other softly.

     The man didn't waste a second in taking dominance over the kiss, his tongue trailing over the boy's bottom lip, his free hand gripping his hip. The brunette invited him inside his mouth with an embarrassing hum of pleasure. A smirk let itself slip onto the older male's face as their tongues mingled and danced.

    Neither of the two could pull away. Neither wanted to.

    When dozens of quick footsteps were heard off in the distance, the brunette paused in his motions. The raven haired man grumbled at the younger's hiatus and wrapped a short leg around the other's. It brought him back to the task at hand and the raven tugged on his prey's hair to expose his neck while he trailed warm kisses along his jaw, down his throat, across his collar bones, back up his neck, to the sensitive spot just below his ear lobe. The boy was quickly turning into a panting mess.

    The footsteps got closer.

     "Moan. Loudly," the man commanded quietly and slowly licked up the shell of the brunette's ear. The boy nearly choked on air and shook his head with his eyes clenched shut, praying the hard on that was threatening to make a tent out of his jeans would disappear. His legs didn't feel capable of working anymore. "I told you to obey me," he growled threateningly.

     It was damn hard not to obey when the man's small hand snaked its way from his hip to the hollow spot between his hip bones, and slid down even further over the brunette's painful growing erection. The older male snatched up the opportunity when the brunette took in a shuddering breath; he palmed at the bulge in his jeans, giving a satisfied smirk when the boy bit his lip to cover up the groan erupting from his throat.

    The footsteps closed in on the pair, the sound of twenty to thirty guns clicking.

    "Hey! You two!" someone barked. They froze, their heads swiveling around in unison to stare at a large group of the SWAT team. Each of them carried a bulletproof shield, guns, a taser, a flashlight, you name it. The leader of the group swept the light over their faces cautiously, giving the boy a good look at the older.

    His face was as beautiful as his body. A pair of thin eyes with bright gray orbs, a sharp nose, thin pink lips, and a strong sculpted jaw line. He could put any model to shame despite his low height. The man unwrapped his leg and removed his hand from the brunette's crotch, to which the boy let out an embarrassing whine, eliciting a soft snort from the elder.

    "There a problem, sir?" the man inquired, pressing a quick peck to the younger's nose.

    "Yes, there is. A curfew was set for the city at eight. It's been announced all over the news all day. I could very well have you arrested for breaking curfew," he spat, jabbing his flashlight at the pair. "Now hurry up and get back in-- Hold on...," The short man noticeably tensed, " _Eren_ , is that you?" He relaxed just as quickly. 

    Eren's eyes widened, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Yes...?" The SWAT man tugged off his helmet with a grim stare, blonde hair practically glowing in contrast with the darkness, and Eren sucked in a breath. "Hannes? When did _you_ join the SWAT team?" he asked with incredulity, grateful the bulge in his pants was dying down quickly.

    The blonde sighed shaking his head. "Now isn't the time, Eren. Take your," a pause to scrutinize the man beside the brunette, " _boyfriend,"_ a blush attacked Eren's cheeks, "and get home quickly. Knowing you, you haven't bothered to check the news. One of the men on America's Most Wanted list was spotted around here." Eren's heart began to race again. _No_... "They don't have a picture of his face. All we know is he's somewhere between five foot and five foot five," _shit_ , "has black hair," _fuck_ , "and wears a fox mask to hide his identity." _Goddamnit Hannes._

    Eren peeked over at the shorter man and received a smile that spoke volumes: _"Say anything, you're dead._ "

    "We had no idea. I'm terribly sorry, sir. We've been sleeping all day and just came out to buy cigarettes," the man lied smoothly, yanking the pack out of Eren's coat pocket and raised it up as evidence, "We'll head back home now." He looped his arm through the brunette's and turned to leave.

     "Right," Hannes drawled out and returned his helmet to its place as they departed. Eren shot back a desperate look to the blonde man, but he didn't catch on to his plea. "Hope you had a great birthday, Eren!" Then he lead his team away.

    On the way to Eren's home, the man explained he was stuck there until his helicopter pilot showed up. She'd gone missing after a failed mission and he had to use a cover up- and Eren just so happened to be a damsel in distress.

    Levi knew it would've been suspicious if Eren died right after the SWAT had seen him with the man, he couldn't simply kill him. If he was discovered as the Fox, he would be screwed. They'd seen his face. He had to depend on Eren now.

    For some unknown reason to the man, he didn't want the brunette to go anywhere. There was something different about him.

   Or maybe it was just the enormous mansion they approached that invited him in with open arms like how Eren did.

"Since you only told me why you had to more or less dry hump me in the alley, would you at least tell me your name?" Eren asked hopefully, unlocking the front door. Thankfully his friends had thrown his birthday party at Jean's house. Now he and the man had the mansion to themselves.

The white and gold doors swung open and they stepped inside together. To Eren, this was nothing new. Everything was the same. All white with the occasional gold twirling around the design. To the man, it looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. A dream he had so many years ago but fresh in his mind.

"Levi," the man answered breathlessly, whirling around to take everything in and caught the familiar brunette's green eyes with his own, "It's Levi."


	2. Case #2: Most Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren eavesdrops and puts two and two together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept adding and subtracting things to this so it took a while. I want it to be as perfect as possible. Let me know if you find any errors! I just finished after six+ hours of editing (dies).
> 
> For those of you who wanted more, I hope this story will be enjoyable and then some. 
> 
> I want to start making weekly updates, but college starts tomorrow. So we'll see how it goees~
> 
> Enjoy ^^

** March 31, 2012 **

**11:02 AM, Saturday **

 

**Location: ?**

 

 

     Eren's feet repetitiously smacked against the pavement in the filthy alleyway, doing their best to increase the proximity between him and the sick bastard in pursuit. He'd been running for just a couple minutes so it was a mystery as to why his limbs suddenly felt as if they'd been dipped in concrete. He wasn't, in any way, out of shape.

     Behind, the man picked up speed.

     Then another man appeared at the exit, approximately six feet away.

     He was a cornered animal.

     Panic ensued, halting his breath and movement.

     "Eren," a vaguely familiar echoing voice called out. It was a difficult endeavor to distinguish where the voice had resonated from, but he was almost positive it'd come from above them.

     Eren's head whipped around in all directions but only found the two men enclosing him into a brick wall that'd been spray painted a numerous amount of times. His back and the scratchy bricks made contact, and with no where else to go, his knees gave out, the cement in his limbs fully weighing him down.

     Was this it? Was he really this weak?

     "Eren, you little shit, get up," the voice echoed again.

     Calloused hands skimmed over his skin, a feathery touch, almost like he was a divine, delectable trophy. A tremor racked his body. It circulated through his chest, building up a warmth that bloomed into a blaze. It propelled him forwards, a fist successfully colliding with one of the men. His surroundings blurred, drifting into a hazy shade of crimson.

And he couldn't stop himself.

 

••••••

 

     A smack to Eren's shoulder prompted him awake with a jolt, sunlight assaulting his eyelids, orange UV rays warming his cheeks. He shuffled around beneath the blankets and sighed in relief.

_It'd only been another stupid dream._

     A tapping foot reminded Eren of the person who'd woken him. Out of pure habit, he shooed away the intruder with a flick of his wrist and a yawn.

     "Mmm. Ten more minutes, dad," he groaned, yanking the thick white covers over his head and twisting around to curl up on his side.

A snort came from behind him, followed by two hands wrenching away the silky blankets. Eren snuggled himself tightly in a last ditch effort to conserve the dissipating warmth. The voice that spoke sent Eren into panic mode.

     "I'm not your dad, kid," a pause, "Nor do I have some weird daddy kink," a deep voice mused.

      Eren's eyes flared open and he barrel rolled off the mattress backwards, fully awake, a question already flying at the man beside his bed.

      "Who in the fuck... oh," he quieted once he drank in the sight of the short man, standing on the opposite side of the bed, in all his bare chested glory.

     Eren's limbs reduced to globs of jello, and if he had to guess, he wouldn't say it was due to the grogginess that was still receding to the back of his mind. He thanked whatever higher power there was that the man was at least wearing a pair of borrowed sweatpants.

     "Oh... U-um... you... why- uh... No shirt?" the words dribbled from his mouth as he tried not to openly gawk at those toned arms, those heavenly sculpted abs, and, _oh man_ , the delicious curve of his hip bones dipping down to his yummy zone-- _Stop it, Jaeger. Stop. Bad. No._

     Levi crossed his arms over his chest, feet shoulder width apart, seeming like he meant business, but no malice was detectable in his voice or steely eyes. Just a typical uninterested stare.

     "Because I refuse to wear a sweaty, blood-stained shirt every day until my fucking pilot chooses to show." His face screwed up in disgust at the mere thought. Eren slowly nodded with pursed lips, another question sparking up in his head.

      "If you're an assassin, aren't you supposed to be, like, prepared for anything and everything?" Eren inquired curiously. He smoothed out the sheets scattered over the mattress, tossed the pillows into their rightful resting place, and plopped down on the side.

     The man eyed him in disbelief for a brief moment like the brunet had just told him Pepsi and Coke were the same thing before he released a long sigh to rein in his impatience.

     "If I don't kill you by the end of the day, I deserve a fucking cookie. Look, kid. This isn't like the movies. I bring along my guns, knives, tasers, and some money if it's a necessity or for a long-term assignment. Sorry I can't just whip out a closet full of clothes from my ass," he gave Eren a flat look, which Eren attempted to return but failed as it dissolved into a blush and an eye roll, and he continued on, "For today, I'll need to borrow a shirt and jeans." --he eyed the brunet's long pajama covered legs-- "If any will even fit. I'll go grab some clothes from a store later."

      Eren's eyebrows furrowed warily at the man, "It's okay if you borrow my clothes. You don't need to shoplift when I can--"

     "Shoplift?" Levi's expression turned from nonchalant to confound in a flash. "Yes. Shoplifting," Eren drawled out and spoke slowly as if Levi were hard of hearing, "I do believe that's what I said. Hard of hearing already?"

     Levi's eyes narrowed to slits on the other.

     "Don't even think about getting sassy with me, brat. My patience was thin to begin with. And don't think for a second I'll treat you any better than a practice tool," Eren noticeably backed off with an indistinct shudder.

     Something in Levi's chest twisted uncomfortably, much to his displeasure and confusion. He couldn't begin to identify the feeling as it was squashed down to the back of his mind into a folder deemed as 'unnecessary shit'.

     "Were you not fucking listening when I said I have money for my shit?"

     "Actually," the boy said matter-of-factly, his confidence rising back up. He stood from the bed and headed for the exit, "You said you only bring some on long term missions. Or if necessary. You never said--"

      "Shut your mouth, or God so help me, I will demonstrate how each one of my tasers work on you," Levi glowered darkly.

     Eren shrank a little and tugged open the eggshell painted door.

     He was known widely for his stubborn side, and unfortunately, it decided to show itself when he grumbled under his breath,"No need to be rude... I liked you better when we were lip locked and on the verge of fucking."

  _Then again, he had still been rude. Just to a lesser degree._

     Faster than Eren could blink, Levi's hand smacked against the door, effectively slamming it shut.

     His hands locked the brunet's wrists near the sides of his head and he pinned Eren's body between the wooden surface and his own torso. Levi's muscles proved to be more than just eye candy as Eren's struggle to break free was fruitless.

     Eren did his damnedest not to ogle down at the man. But if the way Levi's darkened eyes slid over Eren's features as if he were a succulent dessert didn't titillate something inside the brunet, then the smooth hand slithering down, tantalizingly slow, beneath the waistband of his pajama pants was a sure fire way to ignite a flame in his lower abdomen.

     He wanted to punch himself in that moment for giving into Levi so easily. No, he wanted to scold his _body_  for reacting to Levi's stare as if it had sent him into a comatose of overstimulating intoxicants.

     But Eren couldn't choke down the hitch in his breath or his erratic heartbeat. He was utterly terrified of what this man could do, whether it be assassinating people or stirring up stupid teenage hormones. It was terrifying- but nonetheless, thrilling.

     He stared open-mouthed at the man as his fingers swirled patterns dangerously low, and Levi leaned in to warn huskily in his ear, "Don't tempt me, you shit. I'm a selfish man. If I see something I like, I'll do whatever it takes to make it mine."

     And with a final teasing bite to his earlobe, the man backed off, wearing a tiny satisfied smirk at Eren's deep frown.

     The sudden distance made Eren feel colder than normal, but the bulge in his pants swung his attention towards the desperate crave of friction. His neck and cheeks rapidly turned him into a bright red cherry.

     It most certainly didn't go unnoticed by Levi. The raven snorted, making his way to Eren's dresser.

"Horny teenagers."

     He plucked a navy blue V-neck sweatshirt and the smallest pair of jeans he could find from the drawers. He wasn't even sure if those would fit.

     "Hey, do you...," the man trailed off with another snort when he realized Eren wasn't in the room anymore.

He briefly worried that the kid was going to end up transforming him into a pig.

 

 

     Down the lightly lit hall, Eren practically bolted away from his room. His feet slapped on the white marble tiles, the sounds echoing throughout the corridor.

 _That was not okay. That was not okay. That was not okay.That was not... Okay, maybe it was a little more than oka--_ No _. That wasn't anywhere near okay! Get a grip on your hormones, Jaeger. He's dangerous- an assassin. He murders all kinds of people without a second thought. He could off you at any time he feels like!_

     His long fingers ran roughly through his disheveled hair at the conflicting thoughts and very intimate images of him and Levi tumbling around in his head. From this point on, he refused to let himself be toyed with so easily.

And to pay more attention to the man's warnings.

 

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

 

      A freezing cold shower (to rid of his protruding friend) later, Eren returned to his bedroom to find it empty. With a sigh of relief, -because how awkward would it be if he were to come back to face the man with only a towel wrapped around his waist?- he slid on a pair of boxers and black jeans and a loose tank top with the British flag printed across it.

      The shirt had been a souvenir from the time he visited his bestfriend Armin in England. He'd moved away two years ago, the morning of Eren's sixteenth birthday.

      He'd never given an explanation for why they moved, but Eren assumed it was a family matter.

      The loud rumbling in his stomach deterred him from his thoughts, and it demanded he find food as soon as possible. He slipped out of his room and into Levi's, figuring the man was probably starving as well. To his surprise and some confusion, no Levi was found.

      Eren took a long deep breath, thinking of the many places the man could've wandered off to.

      It was an expansive home with 12,000 square-feet long and two stories tall. In the left wing of the house there were eight bedrooms, two bathrooms at the end of both hallways, and a room for laundry. In the right wing, there was a small kitchen, two bathrooms, a library, a dining room, and a ballroom towards the back.

      In the middle section, where you first entered, was a wide spacious 'lobby' of sorts. Two marble staircases ascended on either side of the room, the steps crystal white while the railing was painted gold.

      The entrance hallway stretched all the way to the back of the house. Near the middle of the hall, another hallway opened up on the left, as well as a few doors branching off into various rooms. The beveled windows above the front doors cast rainbows over the sparkling tiles when the sun shone through. It was one of Eren's favorite rooms.

That, and the indoor pool in the very back.

     The entrance hallway led straight to it, and the only way to get in was through two heavily locked doors. He'd never gotten the chance to go inside, for reasons his parents wouldn't tell him, but he could vaguely see through glass carved birds and the clear fragments outlining the pair. At nighttime, the moonlight reflected off of the pool water sometimes, shooting small fractures of light through the glass.

     With all of the rooms and hallways, Levi could've gotten lost trying to find a bathroom or the kitchen for all Eren knew.

     He mentally facepalmed for failing to think of giving Levi a brief tour last night. He'd been too exhausted to walk around, much less hold up a conversation, so he'd settled on showing the man his temporary sleeping quarters and then where his own room was.

     Eren really wished they just lived in a normal, cozy, one story home. His friends weren't even allowed inside. (Though that didn't stop him from sneaking them in while his parents were working all day.)

     Abruptly, his stomach growled again, seeming like it was yelling at him to eat. He wasn't even sure what time it was, but judging from the glaring sunlight, it was around noon.

     His last meal had been in the early morning the previous day. He debated on whether he should continue his search for Levi or make a beeline for the kitchen. If he was being fully honest, the latter sounded more appealing. And less stressful.

     With that resolved, he headed for his third favorite feature of the house- the shortcuts.

     For some peculiar, but convenient, reason there were concealed doorways and tunnels that served as shortcuts, and Eren opted on using the one nearest to him. He jogged to the adjacent hallway that led to the stairs and flipped back the corner of an enormous rug to remove four floorboards, revealing a slide of sorts.

     Once he was in, he unhurriedly fixed the boards and hopped in with a grin, making a side note to fix the rug later.

     He loved taking the shortcuts, especially since no one else knew of them. It felt like his own personal gigantic playground. The slide steadily descended, heading straight into one of the kitchen walls and he had to shift over to lean all of his weight against the opening.

      It took a few fierce shoves to wriggle out through a crack, almost like a comical mouse hole in a cartoon. The only difference being: this opening was concealed to outsiders by one of the counters used for chopping ingredients and brewing tea or coffee.

     Eren finally popped out from behind the filthy counter to be greeted by the barrel of a gun aimed at him and Levi in fighting stance. The brunet paled and threw his palms up as Levi gradually relaxed but shot him a peeved glare.

     "U-um," Eren mumbled eyeing the pistol as it was lowered and holstered roughly into his jeans.

     "I'm just not going to question that for now. But for fuck's sake. Can't you be a normal person and take the stares like everybody fucking else, kid?"

     The raven stalked forward towards the boy, and for a heart wrenching second, Eren thought he was about to get the absolute shit beaten out of him. He raised his arms to protect his face, but to his relief, Levi snatched two mugs of tea off the crystal surface and marched away into the dining room.

     Eren's arms dropped back to his sides to replace the counter in its normal position and followed the man's lead. When he registered there were two plates of breakfast set out on the table, surprise couldn't even begin to describe how he felt.

     He eyed the dish across from Levi suspiciously as if it'd been poisoned, but nonetheless, sat down in front of the meal, one eyebrow cocked at his visitor.

     After the man stabbed one of his eggs into his mouth, he glimpsed up at the brunet, taking notice of the boy's hesitance to eat.

      "If you're thinking I poisoned it, you're even more naive than I thought. That would not only be a waste of food, it'd be a waste of time," he said and resumed nibbling on his waffle.

      With nothing left to lose, besides his life, Eren taste tested a bite of the eggs and waffles and his heart was instantaneously sold. On his second piece of waffle, he couldn't hold back the moan in his throat. It was so good.

     "What did you use to--" Eren stopped short when he saw the man's wide eyes, lips parted, and the death grip on his fork," ...Levi?"

     A violent buzz rattled against the table top. Levi let his fork clatter onto the plate, then scowled down at his watch. Eren slowly began to eat again and reached for his drink.

     "What's that?" the brunet inquired, taking a quick sip of tea. Levi abruptly stood while tapping away at the screen on his watch.

      "Nothing of your concern. Stay here, I've gotta take this," he ordered distractedly and speed walked to the hall. Despite the door shutting behind him, Eren could hear a faint, "What's happening?"

     He was too far away to catch what the other person was saying, and he debated for a minute whether he should stick to consuming his breakfast or eavesdrop on a, most likely, confidential conversation.

     Of course, the latter was more tempting.

     What was that one phrase about how curiosity killed the cat?

     Eh. Who knows, who cares?

     Eren hastily finished off all of the delicious biscuits and gravy meal to tiptoe over to the doorway. The deep voice on the line was muffled by the door but still comprehendible.

     "... _You will have to go right now to catch her. Her meeting starts in half an hour, and she'll be expecting you. Don't let your guard down."_

     "Hm. I don't believe that's a possibility for me," Levi chuckled humorlessly, "Will do, though. Any further details on the target?" Eren's eyes widened at the realization Levi was being sent out to... 'dispose' of someone.

_"None- for now. Has the other target been eliminated?"_

      Eren frowned, looking down at his hands. Would he ever resort to mindless killing just for money? Maybe to protect his friends, if it ever came down to it. But taking people's lives to make a profit... He violently shook his head, disallowing him to even consider it. He knew it was wrong to hurt others. He shouldn't even be pondering the topic.

      He zoned his attention back onto the conversation, cracking open the door just enough to see Levi's face.

 _"You've never had a problem eliminating a target before. Come on. You can't go soft on us now of all times_ ," the other man told Levi seriously then dramatically gasped, " _Unless, of course. . .You must've done it. You did the frickle frackle._ "

      A long moment of silence.

"What."

      The man laughed heartily and proceeded on, " _Oh, come on, you know. Bumpin' uglies. Boinking. Doing some belly magic."_ Levi blinked down at his watch.

"What the _fuck_?"

     An exasperated huff came through the speaker, " _Do I have to spell it out? His frick frack pack--"_

"Erwin--"

" _\--his corn dog-_ -"

"Just--"

 _"--his dick stick--_ "

"Stop--"

"- _-love hose, schlong, skyward sword, dinky winker, mighty man noodle, which ever term you prefer to use, was inserted deeply inside--"_

     "Holy mother of _fuck_ , Erwin. Shut the flying fuck up," he was near shouting at this point but quieted back down just as quick, "You're almost as bad as Hanji, for shit's sake. I get it. And no, we have not done, nor will we _ever_ do, anything of the sort. You know for a goddamn fact that I never get involved with a target unless it's a desperate situation. Both you _and_ the boss know I don't take lightly to killing kids. He should have assigned this to Oluo."

      The pair went dead silent and Eren was slightly trembling, thinking he'd been discovered, and not to mention the overwhelming embarrassment that'd made his blood rush to his cheeks.

     Then Erwin sighed, returning to his serious tone, and Eren had to hold in his own breath of relief.

    _"The bounty for this kid was too high to turn down, and I knew we were in desperate need of this kind of money. My apologies, Captain. I should have consulted it with you first. But I need to know, now- are you incapable of completing the mission_?"

     "No. No, I can do it. But until Hanji resurfaces from where ever the fuck she decided to take a vacation at, I will not take action."

      _"Understood. I am sending the second target's coordinates to your communicator now. I will keep you up-to-date on any intelligence relating to Hanji's whereabouts, as well as the Titans' movements."_

     "Thanks, caterpillar brows."

     The other man on the line chuckled, wishing Levi a farewell. Before Eren could even tiptoe back in the direction of the table, Levi's voice was heard loud and clear from the doorway.

     "How much did you hear, brat?" Eren froze mid-step, swinging his head over his shoulder to shoot Levi an innocent smile. The man stared at him flatly, one eyebrow raised with suspicion.

     "Ah, I just now came over to tell you that, um, your food is getting cold," the brunet rambled out on a whim. He hoped his lie wasn't as plain as day.

    "Your ears are turning red. It's obvious as fuck you're lying." _Well, shit_. "Look, you little shit, I know you were listening for a while," he held up a hand to silence Eren's protests, "And I couldn't give less of a fuck. However, if there's a next time, I will roast and barbecue your ass on that five thousand dollar grill out back. That clear?" Eren nodded vigorously and wondered when Levi had been in the backyard and how he even knew it was worth five thousand dollars. "Excellent. Then I'll be on my way. I'll return in the afternoon."

     Levi swiveled around on his heel to leave when an idea struck the brunet.

     "Can I come along?" he asked hopefully. Maybe some of his questions would be answered if he tailed behind, watching the man at work. Levi backtracked his step to give him an incredulous look.

     Now they only stood a foot or less apart and the proximity should have made Eren nervous, but instead, it brought the opposite effect to his nerves. Excitement. (And no, not aroused excitement.)

    "No, you'll get in my way."

     " _Leviii_ ," Eren whined bouncing on the balls of his feet,"I promise I won't. Please let me come too!"

"No."

"Pleeease."

"No."

"Please, please, please."

"...no."

"..."

"..."

      Eren slowly leaned in, close enough to where he could rest his chin on Levi's shoulder, but avoided looking directly at the man. A muscle flexed in Levi's jaw when his teeth clenched.

      Eren's eyes finally drifted over to bore into the side of the man's face then he hissed, "Please."

      The hand that smacked Eren upside the head was a clear sign of annoyance.

      "You know what? Sure. Fine. If you're so eager to go get killed, then I won't stop you. Makes my job a million times easier. Maybe I'll get a bonus for eliminating two targets at once," Levi pondered nonchalantly, his finger tapping his chin.

      Eren rubbed at the spot where he'd been whacked and straightened up with a tilted head and kneaded eyebrows.

      "How would me dying make your job..." the brunet trailed off, sinking deep into thought, his head bowed. _That kid they were talking about earlier. One of the targets Levi was sent to kill. ._

     The gears in Eren's head started to crank faster like an old machine being turned on for the first time in twenty years. Something clicked. And just as Levi came back inside to load the dishes into the dishwasher, Eren's head shot back up to stare at him wide eyed.

     "Wait... Levi? ...A-Am I one of your targets?" he barely managed to whisper. In response to Eren's accusation, the man released a long breath before starting the dishwasher and twisted around to lean his back against the counter, arms crossed firmly.

     "That would be confidential information, kiddo. If I, personally, were to leak any intelligence concerning my profession, I'd have my ass served on a golden platter." Heat began to swirl up in the brunet, his face transitioning from fear to anger within a flash.

"If I am a target, you can't just fucking keep me in the dark, you--"

"I don't have a damn choice," Levi barked, effectively silencing the brunet, and carried on in a softer tone, "I follow my orders. I get paid. I live. And that's that. That's the way it works."

A far away look overcame Levis features for a fraction of a second, but was immediately wiped away as he stalked to the open double doors to prepare for his next mission.

Eren couldn't begin to fathom how fucked up all this was, but on some level, he actually understood Levi. Everyone had their own ways of surviving. Some had to resort to extremes to make it by, such as: stealing, prostitution, stripping, killing.

     They just wanted to live.

     Wanting to live didn't justify their actions, but it was understandable.

     But he'd be damned before allowing himself to be killed by an assassin for no given reason.

     Levi had made it to the perimeter of the kitchen when Eren called out, "Hey."

     Levi's foot paused on his next step, but he didn't turn to make eye contact. "I won't question you anymore. I guess... I understand," the man lifted an eyebrow with genuine surprise in his eyes, "Plus I doubt I'd get a solid answer anyways," he chuckled softly to himself, "My parents will be home in a few hours; they'll want to meet their new resident... And I'd rather not get in your way on the mission, so I'll be here when you get back. You can't rid of me that easily, little fox man," he added on the last part teasingly.

      Levi cast the boy a side look, his lips curving into a sly smirk.

     "Brat. Call me 'little fox man' again and I'll force you to eat your own shit for dinner."

     "Maybe I'd rather eat my own shit for breakfast." Eren was given an impatient look. "Okay okay, dinner it is then." Levi shook his head in amusement and finally took his leave.

     Just before Eren stepped in the direction of his own room, he could've sworn he'd heard the man mutter,

     "This job may actually be challenging... But annoying, all the same."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know in the comments if I should continue posting more of this story! ♡
> 
> (And I'd love to hear your thoughts or constructive criticism ^^)
> 
> Also, here is the house I described:  
> http://frankiesgirl6yr.hubpages.com/hub/Close-to-a-Fairy-Tale-The-Abilene-Mansion  
> I'm in love with it.


	3. Case #3: The Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi meets the parents. And of course Mikasa.

** March 31, 2012 **

** 7:28PM, Saturday  **

** Location: ? **

 

 

 

     It'd been six hours since Levi left.

     Eren was pacing his room, close to having a mental breakdown as the time was nearing when his mother, Carla, normally got off work. He desperately needed someone to talk to, but how exactly was he supposed to bring this up with his mom? He knew it wouldn't be the wisest decision. It could put her in danger if she knew too much. But if he wanted to make it through this whole assassin ordeal alive, then he needed some sort of guidance.

     He couldn't do it on his own. If he were to run away from home, Levi would _easily_  find him. Or worse, endanger his friends' and family's lives as pawns to get to him. Was it even possible to come out of this unharmed?

     Eren groaned, rubbing the heels of his palms on his eyes, and fell back on his bed, eyes clenched shut.

     He couldn't let the people around him get hurt. Even if it cost him his life, he would shield them from any sort of danger. His family was his support and his friends kept him grounded whenever he got out of hand. He needed a surefire plan. One that wouldn't fail.

     And so far, there were no options.

     The front door downstairs slammed shut, interrupting his thoughts, and his heart rate sped up to ten fold. Carla never got off this early. He held his breath as footsteps escalated up the staircase.

     They became louder, closer.

     Stopped in front of his door.

     Jiggled the door knob. Knocked.

     "Eren? Are you home?"

     He exhaled heavily in relief at the sound of Mikasa's voice and jumped off his bed to unlock his door.

     "Yeah, what's up?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. He reprimanded himself for fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, a sign that showed he was hiding something. Mikasa knew nearly everything about Eren, including how to read his body language like a book. He needed to be careful.

     She gave him a once over before narrowing her eyes on him.

     "Why didn't you answer your phone last night or at all today?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. She was such a mother hen.

      Eren smiled sheepishly and rubbed at his neck.

      "Guess I forgot to charge it again," he chuckled nervously, "Sorry for worrying you, Mimi." Mikasa sighed, letting her arms drop back to her sides, but raised a pointed finger at him.

      "Keep your phone charged, you hear me? We were all out looking for you for hours. We can't have a birthday party without the birthday boy, after all," she smiled and fondly punched his arm, "I'll go let the others know you're okay. Mom and dad will be home in a few so come help me set the table." Eren tipped his head and just as Mikasa turned to leave, he remembered something.

      "Hey, Mikasa," she swiveled around to give him her attention, "Uh, I have a- um... friend... that needs a place to stay for a while. Try not to be too hard on him. He's uh... touchy." Eren could see the gears cranking in her head, but before she could even give an answer, he thanked her and shut the door.

     After a pause of silence, he heard her footsteps retreat downstairs. He collapsed onto his plushy bed and did what his older sister ordered him to- charge his phone. There would be no escaping the downpour of shit tonight.

He knew he'd be bombarded with questions later.

 

 

 

     Around eight, when his mother typically got home, he muted his television when he heard a light pecking sound on his window.

     The first couple of times, he blew it off as nothing more than his imagination. The third time was much louder, though, and he was afraid his window might've been cracked. He crawled across the floor and peeked over the window seal.

So maybe he was a little paranoid.

     As his face neared the glass, he could make out the shadows of trees and shrubs stretching across the lawn. Nothing looked out of place. But what if it was someone else that was after him? Maybe Levi was just a decoy and the real assassin was outside and--

     He squeaked and fell back on his rump when something small clacked loudly against the glass.

" _Psst!"_

Eren tilted his head and stood up to open the window.

    No one trying to kill him would give themselves away like that. He scanned the yard again, this time taking notice of the small shadow shifting around and cursing like the spawn of Satan.

How did he manage to miss that the first time?

     "Took you long enough, damn brat," Levi huffed, stepping into the dim light on the lawn. Eren sharply inhaled at the sight of the disheveled man. "You're going to have to sneak me in. Unlock the front door, distract your sister, and I'll handle the rest. Capiche?"

      Eren nodded and the man gave him a grunt before sneaking around the side of the house. How did he know it was his sister that was home? Was that his own blood soaking his shirt- or another person's? Eren shuddered, immediately forcing those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to reflect on the man's gory appearance.

     He took the stairs two at a time, probed the main hallway, and unlatched the lock before racing to the kitchen. He knew Mikasa would be setting the table and preparing dinner now. She would occasionally take a break, though, to check her phone plugged up in her room. The only sliver of time she might catch sight of him.

     But as of now, Mikasa was stirring something steamy in a large pot while bouncing on the heels of her feet. Off to the sides of the stove were five smaller pots and a plate of triangular sliced sandwiches.

     The brunet smiled with relief and because of the sweet, mouth watering aroma of melted chocolate. He slowly crept up behind his sister with a grin, planning on scaring the shit out of her. But before he could complete his sneak attack, he received a sharp elbow to the gut.

     "Ow! What the fuck?" he wheezed at his sister and clutched his stomach. While she stirred the chocolate, her shoulders shook with laughter and she glanced at him over her shoulder.

      "You're not that slick. I could see you in the reflection of the window, genius."

Eren pouted like a child.

      "You're no fun." Mikasa rolled her eyes at her brother's behavior, then dipped a ball of peanut butter in the chocolate and set it out to cool on a sheet of parchment paper.

Eren craned his neck over her shoulder to get a closer look.

       "Those look like boobs." Another blow to his gut. "Okay, okay, they look like beatiful fucking acorns," he coughed out and quickly backed away from the violent raven haired girl.

She snorted, shaking her head, and continued to dip the balls of peanut butter in chocolate.

      "They're peanut butter bon bon's and they're amazing. They served a platter of them at your birthday party. I think you'd already left by the time they brought them out," she gave him a pointed look which he pretended not to notice as he set the table up for five.

     The front door opening and closing could be heard and he knew right off it was his mom. Levi was too lithe to be detected.

He most definitely would've made it to his room by now.

    Mikasa and Eren turned to greet Carla when she stuck her head in to see what the chef of the household was cooking up and gave the pair a warm smile.

    On the outside, Eren was as calm as ever, a smile stretched across his face. On the inside, he was a nervous wreck, mentally rocking back and forth, trying to prepare himself for the inevitable meet and greet.

     How would his parents react? Would Mikasa instantly sense something was up? Was he over thinking this? Perhaps it'd go a lot smoother than his mind was making him believe it'd turn out.

     Carla gave her kids brief hugs before making her way towards the hall, telling them she needed to change, then she'd come back down for dinner. Eren decided now would be the best time to bring up the we-have-a-new-person-living-with-us situation with his mother.

    He followed her up the left staircase, his eyes downcast to the marble.

"Hey, mom?"

    She glanced back at him with a curious expression.

"Yes, sweetie?"

      "I was wondering if it'd be okay if my friend stays here for a while. He doesn't have anywhere to go and I felt bad for him," okay so that was a tiny lie, "and he won't be here long," and that may be a lie too, "so could he possibly maybe--"

      "Eren, take a breath," she chortled as she stopped at the top of the stairs. "I don't mind if he stays here. It's mainly up to your father, though. When will we get to meet your friend?"

     "Is now a good time?" Levi's deep voice came from the hallway beside the pair. Eren nervously gripped the banister a little tighter as his mom jolted from surprise at the man that came into a view a second later. "Hello, Mrs. Jaeger," he politely tipped his head with a charming smile, "I'm Louis. It's very nice to meet you."

     Eren's head slanted in confusion, but the overly sweet smile Levi gave him subdued his question. He knew the smile was meant to be a severe warning, but seeing Levi in a fresh pair of his black jeans, one of his favorite band shirts, and that fucking sparkling white smile, nearly brought Eren to his knees. Why why why did he have to be an assassin and not some incredibly kind runway model? 

     If not for the situation at hand, he would've snorted at the ridiculous idea of an angelic version of Levi. 

     "Oh!" her eyebrows rose into an arch ,"That's French, isn't it?" he gave an affirmative nod, "Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Louis. I hear you'll be moving in with us for a while?" Carla questioned with a soft smile, her surprise completely etched away.

    She always was one for good first impressions. Levi nodded, not letting his smile waver in the slightest.

    "If it isn't too much trouble. I hate to intrude, but the situation was dire. Would it be alright if I stayed, ma'am?" Levi asked in such a sweet way Eren never thought was possible for him. He must've been perfecting his poker face for years. 

     Carla was sold. She couldn't resist those stormy gray eyes that seemed to tug at your heart strings. Who could?

    "Of course, dear! And just call me Carla. I'll speak with my husband as soon as he gets home." She tugged her smooth black hair out from its braid and ruffled the man's hair as she passed by to head to her room.

     It was barely noticeable, but Eren caught the twitch of Levi's eye and he did his best not to laugh at the man's mussed hair. 

     As soon as Carla's door clicked shut, the notorious grimace returned to Levi's features and he hurriedly combed his hair out with his fingers, all the while grumbling under his breath. 

    "I think because of your height, she thinks you're my age... Or younger," Eren snickered. Levi shot the boy a menacing glare, effectively shutting him up, and took a step in his direction. 

    "You--" Eren grinned and abruptly turned back to the staircase to jump onto the banister and slide down like it was a jungle gym. He hopped off at the bottom and glimpsed up at Levi who was still standing in the same place where he'd left him. 

    The man looked disgusted but nonetheless, slightly amused. 

    "Do you have any idea how many ass germs are all over the railing now?" Levi asked rhetorically. Eren chortled and wiggled his butt at the raven.

    "Don't know, don't care~” his grin widened and he patted the rail, "Come on down."

    Levi turned his nose up at the proposal. "No thanks. I'd rather not get an ass rash."

    The man stuffed his hands in his pockets, regaining his impassive posture and took his time to descend the steps. His face was blank of any emotion, his eyes trained straight ahead. Eren tapped his foot impatiently and returned Levi's blank stare. 

   "Hurry uppp. Are you waiting on the rapture? I'm gonna need a casket by the time you make it down here, old man," he joked. 

    As Levi stepped onto the last step, he pulled something from his pocket but kept it hidden.

    "Very funny, very funny. But my joke is better." He motioned for the brunet to lean in closer, and with some hesitancy, the boy obeyed. There was a dramatic pause before he whispered, "Your IQ." Then something poked Eren's forehead and made a _zzzt_ noise.

Eren yelped and jerked away from the shocking pen. 

    "The fuck was that for?" he hissed, rubbing at the red spot just below his hairline. 

"For behaving like a kindergartner. Now let's go eat." 

 

 

 

    The meeting between Levi and Mikasa had been awkward, to say the least. They had a stare off during dinner, to which Carla scolded Mikasa for supposedly "intimidating their guest". If anything, Eren would say it was the other way around. 

    Mikasa was like a territorial lion that didn't approve of the new addition because of the intimidating aura the man gave off. Eren was still confused why Levi told his family his name was Louis. Even when his dad arrived home and they were finally introduced, he was called Louis.

    Did Levi lie to Eren? Or was he lying to his family? Maybe Louis was just his middle name and he preferred to go by that. But then, why only let Eren know his first name?

    When dinner came to an end, he was on the verge of ripping his hair out and slamming his head into the table when Levi rose from his seat. 

    "I'll clear and clean the dishes," he said, stacking everyone's plate into a pile and heading to the kitchen. Carla had insisted she would help, but the man assured her he didn't mind washing them himself.

 

    Eren finished off his soda as quickly as possible to go after Levi. His dad's eyebrows shot upwards in approval of the man and turned to scold the brunet. 

    "You see his manners? You should use Louis as a role model," his dad chided him. Eren inhaled some of his soda and thumped the palm of his hand on the table, caught between choking and laughter.

_     Levi? As a role model? Okay, dad, we'll see how that turns out. _

    He excused himself from the table and practically ran to the kitchen. Levi scrunched his nose up at the boy as he wiped his sticky face off and set his glass in the sink with a clank.

    The putrid smell of the leftover food nearly deterred him from his original purpose of being in there. 

    "Um, Levi," he started, his nose burning from the caffeine that'd spewed out his nostrils. A soapy hand slapped over Eren's mouth and the man's  eyes flickered to the door then back to Eren.

    "Only call me that when no one else is around. Anyone I meet from now until further notice, will call me Louis," he stated, removing his hand from the boy's softly parted lips.

     Eren spit a few suds into the sink and scrubbed around his mouth.  "Is your name really Louis?"

    "No." 

    "So it must be Levi." 

    "Nope." _The fuck?_

    The brunet's brows tugged together, clearly not understanding.

    "Then what's your real name?" Eren asked, knowing it wouldwould most likely be futile. And as expected, the man gave him a deadpan look and continued scrubbing plate after plate.

    "That's for me to know and for no one else to ever find out, kid. Now cut it out with the twenty questions." 

     "Yes, sir," Eren muttered, earning a half hearted glare and an eye roll. He surprised himself when he picked up a cloth to dry off the freshly cleaned glassware. Levi's features softened ever so slightly and handed him a bowl to dry. 

    The pair worked in silence until there were just a couple of forks left.  Shockingly, Levi was the first to cut through the thick silence in a low voice.

    "If I were to give out my real name, I would be more likely to get caught and executed," he inhaled deeply and added on, "And my comrades would be more at risk... We're all childhood friends." 

    Eren's eyes widened and he wanted to ask so much more, but the man vanished in a flash. 

    Levi had just confessed a tiny piece of information about himself. 

    Eren's lips curled up a little at the corners at the realization, and he placed the last fork in the drawer with satisfaction.

    That satisfaction wouldn't last long, though. He knew he had a long ways to go before he could be content. Or truly happy .

    There was so much to plan, so much to figure out. He needed answers. He wanted to know why he was being targeted. And by who. 

     He had to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this chapter three, part one. I'm sorry not a lot happened. There's so so so so so much more I wanted to write but it's the biggest pain in the ass editing over 3k-4k words on here and I really wanted to go ahead and update. It'd be awesome if I could copy and paste and keep the format I already have written, but my tablet is shit *thumbs up*
> 
> Anyways! In the next part, Levi gets to attend school for the first time ever! Woooo.
> 
> And next chapter, I'm aiming on Levi and Eren going on a mission together~ Don't fuck up, Erennn.
> 
> Hopefully part two will be much longer (shooting for 4k at least) and you can expect more between Friday and Sunday.
> 
> Any thoughts/comments are appreciated!


	4. Case #4: The Problem With School

**April 2, 2012**

**8:22AM, Monday**

**Location: Trost High School, First period**

 

 

     Sunday passed quickly enough while Levi had been 'working' all day. Eren was grateful for the space put between him and the man. Despite his curiosity of Levi, his worry for his family's, and his own, well-being over powered it. Keeping up his guard when the man was around was already tiring. Needless to say, Sunday was a nice breather.

     To say Eren's Monday was going well was a bit of a stretch, however. The man that'd been shadowing him for the past three days was suddenly being introduced to the boy's first period class.

     God only knows how Levi managed to get enrolled to Trost High, and especially so late in the year. Only two months were left before summer break would arrive. It was rare for anyone to come in to the game this late. Eren decided not to question it.

     "Sit anywhere you'd like, Mr. Da...Dajeen?" the instructor struggled to pronounce the name. Levi held back a grimace at the failed attempt and a few snickers went around the room when Eren's friend Jean mumbled a sleepy 'huh?' from the back of the room.

     "It's Dejean, miss. It's French," Levi corrected before turning to head in Eren's direction.

_Oh no. Oh no no no no. Please, please, please, go sit beside one of the many girls who're literally drooling over you. Just please don't sit--_

     "Mind if I take this seat, kid?" the man rhetorically asked. The muscular blond kid in front of Eren scoffed out a, "Yeah I do," but visibly shrank in his seat when Levi sharpened his gaze to menacing slits.

He didn't want an answer. He wanted that seat.

And he sure fucking got it.

     The blond begrudgingly huffed and gathered his books before making his way to the closest available seat at the front. Eren stared disbelievingly at the back of Levi's head. He'd managed to rattle up the quarterback of the football team just by glaring at the kid. The blond never let anyone walk over him like that. Hell was indefinitely going to be raised.

      Eren buried his face in his hands, no where near ready to tackle the remaining hour and a half of class, much less the rest of the day. The bell rang after the long torturous silence of reading, only hearing pages turning, the occasional cough, and Levi's light breathing.

     "Okay, spill it. Why're you here?" Eren hissed at Levi after he'd dragged him into the nearest unoccupied restroom. Levi's face scrunched up in repugnance at the unsanitary walls and urinals. "I don't know, brat. You're the one who dragged me into this cave of filth."

"Levi, you know what I--"

     "Its Louis, shit-for-brains. And yes, I know what you meant. I'm here to make sure you don't blow my cover. Now, no more questions. I can't stand the sight or smell of this shit hole any longer." Just as Levi made a move to head for the door, Eren snatched the man by the elbow to stop him.

     Purely out of reflex, Levi twisted his arm around Eren's to grip it, and in one fluent motion, he swung him around and pinned him to the ground. The boy's arm was pulled way too far behind his back, the man's foot pressing down between his shoulder blades.

     "What the fuck?" Eren rasped, his breaths slowly returning to his lungs from the impact with the ground. Levi sighed, his eyebrows knitting together as he dropped the brunet's limb and backed off.

    "You see, kid. You need to get it through your thick skull that I'm a weapon. Pull _any_ of my triggers and you'll be dead faster than either of us can blink," the raven murmured softly with his back turned to the boy on the tile floor. Nothing more was said as he swung open the door and disappeared into the stream of students loitering the hallway.

      Eren got to his feet after a couple of minutes to catch his breath. He only hoped Levi wouldn't be in his next class. He didn't know if he could handle anymore turmoil inside his head. A part of him felt the need to comfort the man, thinking that it must be lonely thinking of yourself as something that only causes destruction. But the other part told him to stay away. That part picketed warning signs and screamed at him to run in the opposite direction of the man. But he paid no attention to those signs or screams of protest.

      Second period rolled around five minutes later. He was greeted by Connie and Sasha, and Jean softly mumbling a 'morning' to him in the middle of his story about how he and his dad had agreed to a challenge to see who could handle more shots of vodka.

     Eren secretly envied how close Jean's family was. Not that his own wasn't. They were just... more strict with higher expectations.

    Jean playfully punched Eren's shoulder to grab his attention. Apparently while he was zoned out, the teacher, Mr. Darlett, had announced it was a free period and all that they'd be doing was watching a movie off Netflix. They pushed their desks together to keep talking quietly.

"So what's up with that Louis guy?"

     Eren cleared his throat and squirmed in his seat nervously, his eyebrows pulling together. "What do you mean?"

     "He clearly chose that seat in front of you for a reason," he deadpanned and nudged his shoulder against Eren's. "Think he's found a crush already?" Jean smirked and winked, bringing a pink tinge to the boy's cheeks.

"No! I don't--"

     "Jean, stop flirting," the teacher tsked jokingly. The pink tinge on Eren's face turned into a warm red. Jean had no shame in his game, though, and simply flicked his wrist like a drama queen.

     Connie whistled suggestively and called out to Jean across the room, "Ohohoho. Was your Dad a baker? Because you’ve got a nice set of buns, hun!" Laughter echoed around the room and Sasha cackled at her boyfriend's cheesy pick up line.

      Even Mr. Darlett cracked a grin as he hushed everyone so he could hit play. The class had, of course, picked Mulan. As soon as the class quieted, the movie started and Jean continued to talk softly.

 "Now, as I was saying. You know anything about the new guy?"

     Eren stiffly shook his head, whispering, "Nothing more than you do," and thanked the heavens the lights were off so he couldn't see his red ears- an obvious sign he was lying. They could distinguish each other's facial expressions and that was about it.

     "Mkay. Just be careful. Something about him just doesn't settle right with me..." Eren mentally cursed Levi for making him go through this consistent stressful fear of being found out. And especially for lying to his friends.

     The brunet softly chuckled, waving off the two-toned haired boy's worry. "I'm sure it's nothing. He probably just wanted to be close to the door but not right up front like me."

    "Yeah," he dryly chortled and paused for a moment, breaking eye contact and turned to face the front. His eyes wouldn't leave the desk his arms rested on. "So, about Friday... I already heard from Mikasa after you left, you just went home. Um, did we do anything to upset you?" He cast a concerned glimpse at Eren and the boy's heart flip flopped with guilt.

     He'd even managed to make Jean worry about him, of all people. The knife of guilt carved small holes into his chest, making him wish he could tell him the truth but too afraid to risk his safety.

     Eren answered instantly, "No no, you all didn't do anything wrong. I loved the party. Really, thank you Jean. It was the best birthday yet." He smiled widely at his bestfriend.

     Jean was full blown grinning at Eren. "I'm glad you liked it. Matter of fact, we're throwing another one this Friday at the Quarry. You're coming, right?" Eren couldn't be sure if Levi would try to stop him or if he would even get to live that long, but he nodded his head without missing a beat.

     For the rest of the period, the pair sat as close to each other as their desks and chairs would allow them to, Eren's head resting on Jean's shoulder.

     They were by no means in a relationship, but they enjoyed each other's company despite their many arguments that almost always turned into a heated situation. Heated situations being either fights or some lustful stares.

      They never went further or got intimate. They both agreed kissing and sex was exclusive for a relationship. And they knew their friendship would never grow into anything more. Their personalities collided too much for the balance a relationship needed.

     As second ended, his trio of friends waved him goodbye and he was out of the room in an instant. The break between his second and third class was shorter so kids could get to lunch sooner. And of course, those two class were on the opposite ends of the building. Lucky him.

     He hurriedly exchanged his English and Chemistry textbooks for his Algebra II book and sketchbook and slung his gym bag over his shoulder. He reached up to grab his pencil, but before he could reach it, something slammed into the locker door. It rattled noisily when the metal collided with Eren's wrist. He clutched his hand to his chest as the joints tingled and ached.

Upon inspection of the ground, he found a football had been thrown.

     Either someone had very poor aim or Eren was in for a treat. A group behind him laughed and a familiar deep voice spoke up above the other's.

"Hey faggot. Pass the ball back, would ya?"

     Eren's jaw clenched, the counting down already beginning in his head to try and calm his nerves. Wordlessly, he plucked the ball off the floor and held it out to the giant blond boy, Reiner.

     The blond rolled his eyes muttering some unintelligent form of words but stepped forward to take the object.

Eren had had enough, though.

     After seeing how strong Levi was to stand up for something he wanted, despite it being a fucking chair, he felt he needed to do the same. He needed to grow a pair and stand up to the jock that'd been harassing him the past three years.

He yanked the ball away from Reiner's reach.

     Confusion graced his features for only a moment until Eren sidestepped to an open window and paused with a smirk of satisfaction.

     Reiner narrowed his eyes on the boy threateningly. His glare was nothing compared to Levi's. He could feel that glare, as well as the blond's, seeping into his bones in that moment as he tossed the ball out.

People began to stare.

    In a flash, the boy's sea green eyes met a pair of steely grey ones on the opposite side of the hallway before a fist swung and connected with his jaw.

    Levi itched to break up the fight. To make that blond piece of shit regret touching what was his.

 _His_...?

    And that's exactly why Levi didn't go to the boy. Didn't help him. Because he had to remind himself that he had no part in that boy's life, other than as his own personal grim reaper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so that happened, yeah, um sorry. I p r o m i s e after the next chapter, we'll get into the real shit with Levi sniping some motherfuckers down. And the next chapter is already half way done so hopefully it'll be posted within a couple hours. Depends on how long I end up making it, really, since editing is always a bitch.  
> (((I also really wanna get the mission posted today so we'll aim for three chapters one one day)))
> 
> And I had to drop the brotp in there. Jean&eren as besties ftw. It's so hard to write without sweet lil Armin in here, but he'll come in eventually -cries-


	5. /Not An Update/

Okayyyy sooo. This may not be continued. Then again, it might. The reason why is because I've recently found another fanfic that has the same ideas/plot line I'd planned out. 

When I write, I aim for original ideas. Stuff no one has written before (for this fandom). So for now, this story will be on hiatus. If I choose to discontue it, I'll have to decide whether I should keep the second & third chapter or turn it back into a one shot. If I come up with a new badass direction for this story, I'll most definitely go on!

I'm sorry for any inconvenience. I hope you guys understand.

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, yes, Eren. Enjoy those kinky little fantasies with that harness on Levi.
> 
> If you want to chat, ask me something, or simply stalk me, my tumblr is http://levilikeserenbooty.tumblr.com
> 
> Aaand I'm working on tweaking my writing style. Thoughts? Constructive criticism?


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